F(ab)2fragmentantibodiesaregeneratedbypepsindigestionofwholeIgGantibodiestoremovemostoftheFcregionwhileleavingsomeofthehingeregion.F(ab)2fragmentshavetwoantigen-bindingFabportionslinkedtogetherbydisulfidebondsandthereforetheyaredivalent.Theaveragemolecularweightisabout110kDa.Theyareusedforspecificapplications,suchastoavoidbindingofsecondaryantibodiestolivecellswithFcreceptorsortoProteinAorProteinG.
Allophycocyanin(APC)isamongseveralkindsoflight-harvestingphycobiliproteinsfoundinred,blue-green,andcryptomonadalgae.APCisisolatedfromtheblue-greenalgaSpirulina,andischemicallycross-linkedforstability.Afterphycobiliproteinsareconjugatedtosecondaryantibodies,thereislittlefluorescencequenching,whichresultsinconjugatesofhighspecificfluorescencecomparedwithconventionalfluorophore-antibodyconjugates.APCcanbeexcitedbylightoverawiderangeofthevisiblespectrum,ishighlywatersoluble,hasarelativelylowisoelectricpoint,andlackspotentiallystickycarbohydrates.
ItshouldbenotedthattherelativelyhighmolecularweightofAPCmayprecludeitsuseinproceduresrequiringgoodpenetrationintocellsandtissues.Itispredominantlyintendedforsurfacelabelingofcellsforflowcytometry.
